Manufacture of soles



(No-Model.)

J. L. THOMSON. MANUFAOTURE 0F SOLES, TAPS, AND HEELS FOR BOOTS AND SHOES.

Patented Apr. 4,1882.

FIE-lqcccccc FI E-E- UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JUDSON L. THOMSON, OF SYRACUSE, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO SAMUEL S. HARTWELL, OF WVANTAGE, NEW JERSEY.

Y MANUFACTURE OF SOLES, TAPS, AND HEELS FOR BOOTS AND SHOES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 256,077 dated April 4, 1882.

' Application filed August 11, 1881. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, J UDSON L. THOMSON, of Syracuse, in the county of Onondaga, in the State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in the Manufacture of Soles, Taps, and Heels for Boots and Shoes, of which the following, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a full, clear, and exact description.

The nature of this invention consists in a novel method and means of preparing soleleather, whereby a material is obtained which is more durable and better adapted for various purposes than ordinary sole-leather.

1 In the annexed drawings, Figure 1 is a transverse section of a piece of sole-leather prepared in accordance with my invention, and showing its condition before it is subjected to pressure; and Fig. 2 shows its condition after it is subjected to pressure and ready for use.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

My improved material may be composed of one or more thicknesses, a a, of leather, ac-

cording to the quality of leather used and thickness of material required. Generally I use the flabby or softer parts of sole-leather, which, when treated by the process hereinafter described, becomes more durable and has more solidity than the best sole-leather. This leather I generally first moisten sufficiently to render it soft throughout, then run it through a skiving-machine,-which takes off the unevenness of the flesh side of the leather, and after that 5 run it through heavy presserrollers to solidify and still further even the thickness. I then cut out of it, by suitable dies, the soles, taps, or heels, as maybe desired. These soles, taps, or heels I again moisten with a water-proof 4o glutinous liquid, and then I insert into them a multitude of wooden pegs, as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings. Said pegs are distributed nearly or quite uniformly over the leather and short distances apart. The ends 4 5 of the said pegs are made to protrude through the leather. The protruding ends thereof are subsequently cut off, and the surfaces of the leather smoothed by skiving, planing, or any other suitable means. After this, and while the leather is still moist, the aforesaid mate- 5o rial is pressed between rollers or between the bed-plate and follower of a press, and subjected to sufficient pressure to upset the pegs and to split and distort them at various angles inside the leather, thereby giving the said pegs a firm hold, which prevents the leather from swelling again when exposed to moisture. The interspersion of the pegs exerts a lateral pressure on the pierced leather, and thus renders the same still more compact, at the same time the flexibility of the distorted pegs renders the leather sufficiently pliable for soles and taps.

The presentation of the ends of the pegs at the surfaces of the leather, in conjunction with the compressed leather, produces a material of superior solidity and durability, and the uses to which it may be applied are as various and numerous as those of ordinary sole-leather.

For many purposes it will be found benefi- 7ocial to render this material impervious, which may be done by any suitable method.

I do not claim simply a sole or tap-sole, made of several layers of thin leather, united by short sections of fine wire or other metalhe )ins or screws driven closely together, as I am aware the same is not new; neither does such a construction accomplish the object of my inventioni. 0., to produce from cheap material sole-leather which shall be of uniform 8o density, and possess at least the same elasticity, durability, and all other desirable qualities as the best of sole-leather, all of which I obtain by the process hereinbefore described.

Therefore 7 truding ends of said pegs and planing orothermy name and ailixed my seal, in the presence wise smoothing the sides ofthe said soles, taps, of two attesting witnesses, at Syracuse, in the 0' or heels, and, finally, while the same are still county 0fOnondag-a,in the State of New York, moist, subjecting them to heavy pressure this 30th day of July,1881. against opposite sides, so as to split and dis- JUDSON L. THOMSON. [L. s]

tort the pegs inside of the leather, substan- VVit-nesses: tially in the manner herein described. WM. 0. RAYMOND,

In testimony whereofl have hereunto signed 0. H. DUELL. 

